Tourism Queensland banks on childhood memories

Remember playing ‘‘I spy with my little eye’’ from the back seat of your parents' car en route to the beach?

Tourism Queensland certainly hopes so.

The Queensland government has spent $345,000 on a national online campaign, and television and radio commercials to be broadcast only in Queensland called ‘‘I spy’’.

Hence, holidaymakers will be asked to ‘‘spy’’ one of 550 accommodation deals offered by wotif.com as part of a two-week sales push, from today until October 8.

‘‘Most of us remember the excitement of going on holiday as a kid and passing the time looking out the car window and playing ’I Spy’,’’ Tourism Minister Jan Stuckey said.

‘‘Tourism Queensland’s new campaign aims to draw on this nostalgia by encouraging Australians to ’spy’ a great Queensland holiday experience and recapture those days of simple childhood pleasures with their own families.’’

The campaign is expected to reach about 1.6 million Wotif.com subscribers in Australia and New Zealand.

‘‘This campaign is about boosting overnight visitor expenditure and if we get some extra day trips out of it I don’t think our theme parks and other destinations will be disappointed in that,’’ Ms Stuckey said.

Deals include one room on the Gold Coast for one night twin share from $79, a one night stay in tropical north Queensland from $89, or on the Sunshine Coast from $99.

‘‘The idea is to drive bookings leading up to the Christmas holidays, as this is usually a quieter time for tourism operators,’’ Tourism Queensland acting chief executive Leanne Coddington said.

The Newman Government set aside $20 million in its September budget to promote the state’s tourist attractions.